MotoGP, Dovi: the 'lab' GP13? Maybe it is useless

The Italian "miracle" didn’t happen: after having tried in every way to equip Dovizioso and Hayden with the 'lab' GP13 in time for the Barcelona GP, the official Ducati team had to give up for logistical problems (not enough time). Oddly enough, both racers don’t seem to be too disappointed.

" The lap time at Mugello was similar, basically the same – Andrea Dovizioso said – The new bike has positives and negatives, but we can definitely say that it isn’t yet the step we need. We rode in 1'48 high constantly, which is a good pace, but without direct comparison with our rivals we may not know. We could take it to the Assen track but, if in the tests on Monday we go worse, this frame will be discarded".

Nevertheless after the tests at Mugello you said you preferred to ride with the new bike…

" The improvement is not striking, as we expected, but we had logistical problems to prepare all components. I will ride with the same bike of Mugello. Anyway we will give 100% and we will do the tests here on Monday, which is important given the completely different characteristics of this track. Here you consume the tyres very much, there are very long curves and the motorbike pumps a lot, then there will be also our rivals".

Is it true that you have tried a new driving position?

" Yes, the balance is different: a 70 kilos rider can make a big difference in the weight movements. The bike does a bit more what I want, it is more reactive and less neutral, but the position isn’t that comfortable because I am lying more. With four rounds to work well in optimal conditions, we will make a comparison between the two saddle positions and we'll see".

Why does it seem like you can’t find the crux of the matter?

" In Ducati they are working at 360 degrees, on everything and very much. But it is difficult to recover and at the moment there aren’t major developments nor the results that we want. We are working well in the races, taking out the maximum from the bike, managing to start on the front row, which helps us to keep a good race pace, butthe technical gap is the same since the beginning of the season. Pirro as a tester is working well, but we need much more radical changes. We are doing well, but the bike hasn’t improved".

Nicky Hayden agrees. He has tried more Desmosedici "iterations" than Dovizioso, basically encountering the same problems.

" We didn’t try too many things on the new bike last week, so the test didn’t bring too many benefits – the American analyzes – The only exception is the backward shifted saddle position, also thanks to a new tank cover, which allows us to warm the tyres up more easily".

But the project seems more radical…

" The new bike I tested at Mugello, which can be defined as the final version of the 'lab', made less difference than the original version. We have to understand why we get rid of some negative aspects also smoothing the positive ones".

What will you focus on now?

" The engineers worked especially on the rigidities, but we haven’t changed the right variables to solve the understeer and rideability problems. At Jerez and Mugello with the 'seminal' bike it was clear from the data that the front problems were partially solved, we could do different lines and the bike 'pumped' less.

Which is the next step?

" The future is built around this motorbike. In the past we changed bikes without making too many tests, creating confusion and sometimes taking steps backward. On Monday we will try to move forward with this. It isn’t the best for a rider, we still wait for the big step forward, but the team is working hard".